By Brian Parker

A while back, we covered TicketMob‘s triply segmented ticketing and event management platform for live music, electronic music, and comedy events. TicketMob allowed artists, labels, brands, and festivals to manage their interactions with fans independently of large middleman ticketing companies like Ticketmaster and LiveNation. As of today, under the acquisition of cloud-based event management platform Cvent and subsequent merger with mobile Seed Labs, TicketMob will be known as CrowdTorch, a highly specialized and improved event and audience management solution.

Scot Richardson, CrowdTorch General Manager and founder of TicketMob, explained that CrowdTorch is focused on brands’ individual intentions for event management, with “white labelling being front and center.”  ”We want to give clients an entire toolset to engage with fans’ lifestyles,” says Richardson, regarding CrowdTorch’s goal to keep ticketing internal whilst maintaining a level of trust, transparency, and reliability between event organizers and their fans. A huge focus of CrowdTorch’s efforts will go into developing mobile apps for events that consolidate complete fan experience, from sharing functionality on social networks, to adding VIP packages upon entering an event, and quite feasibly reselling unused tickets for customers who are unable to attend.

With analytics that can track the correlations between promotions and ticket sales, event creators can keep tabs on what marketing methods are efficient to their particular fan bases.  One such application of the social media toolset proved to be instantly successful–an artist offered a $1 discount to anyone who bought tickets through their event app, and gained a 380% ROI. Though Richardson says CrowdTorch is “still scratching the surface of the mobile app developments,” a dedicated platform that offers both solutions and analysis for events seems to be ushering in a new, independent method of interacting with fans.

CrowdTorch is certainly competing with major ticketing hubs on the level of direct ticket sales, but the company isn’t interested in a direct challenge against the current industry standard. Rather, by creating a new method of audience and event management, the new model may emerge naturally over time as a more lucrative option for artists and events. “We’re trying to be a replacement for multiple providers of ticketing, branding, and event management…we’re trying to do all of that for you and to integrate all of the relevant touch points,” Richardson explains of CrowdTorch’s 360-degree approach. And by maintaing the former structure that TicketMob called “verticals,” artists and organizers can customize a total fan experience without worrying about scalpers, disorganization, or a lack of information about programming, lineups, and the like.

With TicketMob’s former LaughStub (comedy), TuneStub (live music), and ElectroStub (electronic music/nightlife) still in place, events can be customized based on category, marketplace, and audience demographics. For example, creating an event with the ElectroStub platform can offer options for table service at a nightclub, with a group of friends splitting the costs via an app. In the same vein, promoters for these events are given a unique set of tools that cater to their job functions. Furthermore, having distinct channels allows event organizers to cater to communities of fans that respond to different types of marketing and promotions, a feat that is much more difficult under an umbrella platform with unlimited options.

Finally, Richardson made clear that CrowdTorch is a highly viable option for working with individual, independent artists. The same solutions are offered at this level with pre-sales, VIP packages, and special opportunities for superfans willing pay for an additional, meaningful experience. By integrating ticketing and audience management tools, points of purchase need not be disparately associated, and artists and fans can expect a more personal relationship without the hassle of hopping around various websites and social media networks to redeem special offers and features.

You can keep up with @CrowdTorch on Twitter, and learn more about the company’s outlook and functionality in the video below:

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By Jason Epstein

That’s right: StubHub is treating price transparency as though it were a perk.

In recent years, StubHub has joined the ranks of Ticketmaster in providing a highly sought-after service with hardly any competition – and making an absurd profit from service fees that have ballooned to epic proportions.  But now, StubHub is purporting its friendliness with promises to be transparent about the service fees you’ll be paying…by forgoing showing customers ticket fees, in exchange for displaying the full price of the ticket.   (Okay, that’s not entirely true; if you click ‘See Details’ under ‘Price Details’ they’ll let you in on the actual makeup of your total cost.)

It’s called “All-in Pricing.”  Here’s a quote from their announcement email:

“On StubHub, you’ll see the final price right when you hit the site. Nothing more will be added to your cost.  Not even delivery charges.”

It reads like a loud, aggressive sales pitch for a feature that is basically saying, ‘We won’t bait and switch you like any ordinary good business wouldn’t anyhow.  You’ll still pay ludicrous fees, but we’ll just give you a mild heart attack at the beginning of the sale – not the conclusion.’

What they don’t call attention to is that you’ll already be paying for whichever delivery options have been selected by the seller.  Service fees are often about 10% of the price of the ticket before this delivery fee.  Percentage-wise, that’s certainly better than Ticketmaster, but because these are high-priced scalped tickets, you can bet it won’t be amount-wise.  And that’s not the end of it, because they charge the seller a fee too, further inflating prices.

StubHub is a great service and I’m certainly not upset that it exists, but you know what else works well? Buying tickets when they go on sale, and to a lesser-extent, nabbing some tickets outside the venue from a shady dude who only has $100 bills as change.  To see the entire announcement, click here.

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By Keith Nelson Jr.

When Bruce Springsteen released his debut album Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ, personal computers were still five years from being marketed to the masses. Over 40 years later, Bruce Springsteen is implementing technology  with new music promotion strategies in 2014. In a recent interview with NPR, the legendary rocker announced that he will be selling USB wristbands to fans online and at his current tour for $40. When connected to a computer, the USB wristband will allow fans to download the official recording of the show, 48 hours after the performance.

Springsteen acknowledges the shift in pop culture consumption and is comfortable adapting to a world where “everything you do is recorded.” Back in 2011, Pearl Jam utilized a similar method by offering audio downloads of their Lightning Bell tour on Sirius XM’s Pearl Jam Radio. While these moves could be perceived as generosity from immensely successful bands, they have more monetary predications for acts attempting to collect lost revenue. Pearl Jams’ Backspacer tour contained 56 shows, had two legs in 2009 and 2010 that lasted five months in total and did not rank in the Top 25 highest grossing tours for either years. Springsteen has experienced considerably better success by ranking in the Top 5 for his last three tours, 2009’s Working on a Dream tour, 2012’s first half of Wrecking Ball World Tour, and 2013’s second half of the Wrecking Ball World Tour. However, in those three years, Springsteen’s tours were unable to sell out over 75% of their shows (58% in 2009, 75% in 2012 and 67% in 2013).

An artist such as Beyonce could benefit from Springsteen’s wearable technology, as she also has experienced similar touring inconsistencies. Her last two tours each grossed over $55 million yet had less than 70% of the shows sold out with her 2009 I Am…Sasha Fierce tour having only roughly 44% of its shows sold out. While this merchandising development can help the superrich get richer, the ability for fans to download a show could prove to be most beneficial to artists whose fanbase originated and is most popular online. With the rising popularity of social media and the expansion of avenues to release music online, more artists are garnering large fanbases without any physical representation (tours, physical albums, videos). Selling downloadable concert audio allows artists to maintain the distribution models to which their fans are accustomed, while allowing their spread-out fanbase to experience all of their performances no matter the location.  From a fan engagement and business standpoint, Bruce Springsteen might have helped to usher in a future industry standard.

Keep in touch with Keith Nelson Jr. on Twitter @jusaire.

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With high temperatures in the teens and lows in the negatives, the conditions in Geilo, Norway this weekend would have any sensible person cozily relaxing by the fireplace. But 4km south of the winter sporting and luxury holiday destination, the clime is ideal for the organizers and participants of the 9th annual Ice Music Festival.

This incredible festival founded by jazz composer, musician, and ice music pioneer Terje Isungset features music performed solely on instruments made of ice. After several successful years creating ice-based performances and eventually starting an ice music-only record label (unsurprisingly called Ice Music), the Ice Music Festival was launched in 2006, under the year’s first full moon. The festival has continued ever since, and features musicians playing ice violins, ice cellos, ice harp, ice horn, iceophon, and an ambiguous, unknown instrument called the ice talatut.

Because the instruments, stages, and performances spaces are constructed entirely of ice, the conditions must be perfect to achieve the feat of creating the ideal ice objects. A skilled team of (rather intense) sculptors, architects, and producers ensure the highest quality of the ice for both the performances and for aesthetic excellence. This year will also feature the world’s first ice orchestra performing a specially commissioned composition by Terje.

What is particularly intriguing about this festival, beyond the extreme temperatures and diehard Norwegian constitution, is the haunting beauty of the music. The resonances and clarity of ice instruments reflect the purity and peacefulness of water, paired with the sheen and crystalline forms of ice–the textures are completely audible, and alluring and chilling.

To find out more about this unique event, follow Ice Music Festival on Soundcloud, Twitter, and Facebook, and check out Terje Isungset’s ice music albums on Spotify.

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By Brian Parker

On February 18th, Red Bull Music will release a free feature-length movie about the work, dedication, spirituality, and struggles that lace the experience of making and performing music. Featuring a cast of some of the most accomplished and innovative musicians of our time, including Erykah Badu, James Murphy, Flying Lotus, Brian Eno, and more, “What Difference Does It Make? A Film About Making Music,”  directed by Ralf Schmerberg will highlight the grittier and darker aspects of being an active musician in today’s world and music industry. This morning, Red Bull Music Academy, the global masterclass and event series that has been running for over  fifteen years, posted an intriguing trailer for the film on its Twitter page.

We’re looking forward to digging into this film once it’s released, but for now, check out the trailer below:

Visit redbullmusicacademy.com for details about this year’s upcoming event.

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By Brian Parker

In anticipation of their upcoming music industry festival in Cannes in 2014, Midem Music has launched a video blog series profiling and interviewing heads of innovative record labels, posing the question, “Who needs labels?”

The most recent installment comes from Horst Weidenmuller, CEO of !K7, who weighs in on labels’ investments, rights ownership, and the blurring lines between labels and artists. Watch the brief, informative segment below:

!K7 is a renowned independent record label, licensing company, and distributor, and is home to artists including Carl Craig, John Talabot, Bloc Party, and Maya Jane Coles. !K7′s DJ-Kicks is a highly respected DJ mix and compilation series.

Watch more of the “Who Needs Labels?” series on the Midem blog.

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By Michael Valinsky

This past fall, British sculptor Anish Kapoor and Japanese architect Arata Isozaki collaborated on the world’s first inflatable concert hall, Ark Nova. The name refers to Noah’s “Ark” and “Nova” to “New.” From the outside, the structure looks like a large purple elastic shell. From the inside, a glowing, multi-colored space in which 500 to 700 people gathered to listen to music as part of the Lucerne Festival 2013.

The installation, or venue, travelled across Japan, around the areas affected by the 2011 earthquakes and tsunami, and hosted a series of concerts, workshops and other performances. The team  in charge of the project wanted to restore morale to devastated communities through the strength of art and music.

The space was constructed to be as mobile as possible, allowing for installers to dismantle it quickly and move it from its original location, Matsushima, to the next ones. For a harmonious and acoustic flow of sound formed by acoustic reflectors and chairs, the artists gathered cedar wood from the Zuiganji Temple forest with the approval of Forest Owner’s Cooperation Association of Miyagi Chuo and Ishinomaki Laboratory. As a result, the space takes on a size of 30m in width, 36m in length and a maximum height of 18m.

Check out a video from the festival.

Let us hope that an event like this will one day repeat itself, perhaps in the United States.

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By Michael Valinsky

London-based party starters Urban Nerds has teamed up with London Warehouse Events to host the 2013 New Year’s Eve Mix Competition.  December 15^th marks the deadline for musicians to submit their mixes. Win a chance to perform a 1-hour warm up set in London alongside Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Breach, Bondax, T Williams, Breakage, Kry Wolf, Monki, Diamantle and many more. Submissions are to fall between the House, Bass, Garage and Techno genres. The selection process is based on the number of plays for each mix, but each mix only needs a minimum of 50 plays to guarantee a listen from the panel of judges.

You can check out some of the competition here, and be sure to read and follow the submission guidelines.

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Ahead of ASCAP’s 100th anniversary in February 2013, the performing rights organization produced a film featuring some of the top songwriters in the industry to answer the simple, but loaded question, “Why do we create music?”

Each of the 15 songwriters, including Carter Burwell, David Lang, Ne-Yo, Lady Antebellum, and Bill Withers, contributed a unique element to the soundtrack, resulting in 130 separate tracks to be compiled into an original song released in December.  The concept brings to mind the 1985 USA for Africa supergroup song, “We Are The World.” Watch the video below:

The ASCAP 100 website is creatively designed, with a highlight year for every day leading up to the anniversary. ASCAP history and world music history for each year are represented by an event and correlating music on an interactive page with song clips and imagery.

Check out the ASCAP 100 website, and tune in every day for a new bit of music industry history.

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By Brandon Cook

Moog has announced their 4th Annual Circuit Bending Challenge with the coming of Moogfest 2014. Moogfest is a yearly music festival celebrating the spirit of innovation and the life of Dr. Bob Moog with concerts, panels, installations and more. As part of the festival, the circuit-bending challenge is the Moog Foundation’s way of paying tribute to the spirit of inventors and pioneers everywhere.

Many of the go-to, easy to use features of modern day synthesizers (and even software synths) were first developed by Bob Moog himself. Take a look at the synths in your studio, you may recognize some of his inventions on your own gear, such as ADSR envelopes, low-pass filters, and voltage controlled oscillators. By toying with some of the techniques used in Moog’s experimentation, you will most certainly develop a better understanding of circuitry and a more profound appreciation for his contributions to the modern day synthesizer.

It’s fairly simple to get started on the Circuit-Bending Challenge and only requires a small investment. In fact, participants are encouraged to keep their budgets small ($70 or less). Participants in the past have used drum machines, samplers, keyboards, effects pedals and even a Barbie guitar. You can check out some great examples of past projects on here. The opportunities are endless and the most interesting instrument modifications often produce the most interesting sounds.

The circuit bending process has grown in popularity in response to cheaply attainable electronics that can be easily transformed into a beautifully simple, incredibly spontaneous and completely random sound generators. It’s really as easy as cracking open an old or unused piece of electronic gear and connecting any two circuits. Next, just get creative! The joy of circuit bending is that you never know what sounds will result from the smallest adjustments. The calculated and controlled outcome of a Moog synthesizer could have never been achieved without this type of experimentation, so now it’s your turn!

Along with the opportunity to learn the artistry of circuit bending, this unique challenge offers some of the coolest prizes you could ask for. Competition winners can take home a genuine Moog Sub Phatty, Moog Slim Phatty, and a Moog Minitaur for first, second and third place respectively. Each prize also comes with 2 tickets to Moogfest in April 2014. Winning projects will also be featured in a display (maybe the beginning of your synthesizer career) at Moogfest for an estimated 50,000 attendees. Winners of the competition are chosen on the basis of functionality, craftsmanship, creativity, appearance, sound and popularity among the public.

If interested in entering the contest yourself you can visit Moog’s official website for contest rules, instructions and additional information.

Brandon Cook is a contributing music technology writer and cofounder of ToppleTrack.com, one of the web’s leading anti-piracy companies. Topple Track works with artists, labels and distributors to protect and monetize digital content.

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By Michael Valinsky

On November 8^th, Samsung opened up a series of nine pop-studios across the country, with a New York  location in SoHo at 130 Prince St. The concept is fantastic and one-of-a-kind. The space is purely promotional, which means (and to quote one of the employees), “they are trying to give as much as they can back to the customers.” The location is divided in multiple different stations.

For starters, you check in at the entrance to receive your Samsung card – a card that you will use at all the stations to accumulate points and maybe win a prize (including a brand New Samsung Galaxy S4, Galaxy Note 10.1, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Gear and more.)

Once you check in, here are your options:

- Walk over to the “Experience Stations” where you can get a hands-on experience of the newest Samsung products, the Galaxy Note 3, the  Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition, and the Galaxy Gear.

- Step into the “Entertainment Lounge” where you can check out devices, lounge around on couches, play with the WatchOn app on the tablet – from where you can control the flat screen TV and watch whatever you want – or seat yourself at the gaming station.

- After you lounge, or perhaps before, grab free coffee and cupcakes in the “Café,” a collaboration with Illy and the AirGesture app.

- There are two options for memorabilia. The first is the “Photo Station”, where two pictures are taken of you. One of them is for you and you can hang the other up on the wall and join the space. The second is the “Design Studio” where you can design a holiday greeting card or a mug or T-Shirt or Christmas tree ornament with any image you want! Takes about 5 minutes for the products to be made.

-Finally, if you own the Samsung Gear, you should gear up  at the “Accessories Station”. The station is in collaboration with Piperlime.com with merchandise varying from bags to earrings, bracelets, sunglasses, and necklaces.

Everything in the space is free and made to accommodate customers around the holiday seasons. The space will be closing on December 31^st so hurry up, get yourself a mug, and check out these great new devices.

For media inquiries, contact Christi Lardy at [email protected]

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Formerly NARM and digitalmusic.org, the new Music Business Association (Music Biz) is a non-profit membership organization and community committed to the full spectrum of monetization models in the music industry.  Music Biz holds the annual Music Startup Academy to offer insight to entrepreneurs who work in the industry or are looking to utilize resources in the industry. The Academy has a specific focus on startups and new technologies, and is intended to reduce barriers of entry into the music business for ambitious businesspeople with innovative ideas. Now in its third year, the Academy will have seminars on development, label and publishing structures, app development and marketing, and music operations, delivered by a number of professionals and experts in the field.

As a media sponsor, SoundCtrl is partnering with Music Biz for a $25 discount on tickets.  Simply enter soundctrl25 at checkout, and be sure to buy your tickets early as the event has limited capacity.

Some of the presenters will include:

- Bill Wilson, VP, Digital Strategy & Business Development, Music Biz

- Derrick Fung, CEO/Co-Founder, Tunezy

- Bill Campbell, Sr. VP, Digital Business, Global Digital Business Group, Universal Music Group

- YiPing Ho, VP, Global Digital Business Development, Warner Music Group

- Dan Kruchkow, CMO & Head of Digital Strategy, Crush Music Media Management

- Jon Landman, Owner, The Syndicate

- Josh Builder, CTO, The Orchard

You can hear past attendees’ testimonials about the program in the short video below:

The post Discounted Tickets for the Music Startup Academy on December 5! appeared first on SoundCtrl.

It would be a discredit to Clams Casino to merely call him a hip-hop producer. The last few years have brought the New Jersey native into the limelight of a new wave of hip-hop that is informed by both the layered contexts of an internet-fueled subculture and by the unavoidable fusion of electronic, experimental, and indie music with rap and pop alike. Artists such as Lil’B, A$AP Rocky, Mac Miller, and Blood Orange have all sought out Clams’ hazy, tripping productions, and his EPs and remixes have been Soundcloud hits.

To promote their new string of detachable laptops, technology manufacturer HP is collaborating with the young producer to show off his production prowess and their computers’ production power. Clams Casino will be producing “2Days Beat ft. Vic Mensa“ live on YouTube on Monday November 18th and Tuesday November 19th, taking directive cues from commenters as inspiration. The HP computer in use will be the the HP Split x2 Ultrabook, which functions as both a notebook computer and as a detachable tablet PC as a competitor to the Microsoft Surface.

HP posted a short video displaying the functionality of the dual device, as well as how the young producer incorporates the machine into his personal production setup.  Tune into HP’s YouTube channel to get in on the conversation.

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Dev Hynes, also known as Blood Orange, has produced and written songs for a variety of artists including Solange, Sky Ferreira, Florence and the Machine, and Theophilus London. The past few years have seen him on a steady rise, with his signature composition style inhabiting the interstitial space between pop, R&B, and indie rock.

Ahead of his newly released Blood Orange album, Cupid Deluxe, Hynes delivered a lecture at New York University on Wednesday evening, discussing his unique synesthetic condition and how it informs his compositions. Synesthesia is a condition wherein different senses are mixed in the brain, such as hearing colors or tasting sounds. Hynes’ condition involves the fusion of his hearing and visualization, so he can “see” sounds. Hynes was invisible for the duration of the lecture, with the focus on an audio-visual presentation over which he chronicled his experiences as a musician with synesthesia. Hynes spoke about his childhood, including an anecdote about a music teacher who was the first to recognize that a young Dev had this unique condition. The projection displayed a color wheel spectrum that spun and fanned as Hynes described the textured and tonal “streamers floating around” that he experiences when listening to music.

Hynes took us through the colorful inspiration for his score to Gia Coppola’s Palo Alto, providing a look into the color palettes that comprise his musical sensibilities. He described his growth in accepting synesthesia as a unique composition tool, rather than a hindrance. In his days performing as Lightspeed Champion, his condition was often so overwhelming that he couldn’t visit loud bars or venues without feeling distraught. During this time, he relied on mathematical and algorithmic composition methods to compensate for the visual chaos in his mind. Now he composes by “starting with a solid base and mixing colors” for his ideas to have “a home to live in,” setting the environment and texture of an idea before seeing it through to arrangement.

Imagery of liquid dyes floating and spinning in centrifugal motion were a backdrop for the accompanying music, which culminated at the closing piece for Palo Alto. Hynes explained the creation of the environments for each of the film’s characters, and how each character represented a different color that functioned within the larger palette for the film. Hynes also admitted to purposely recapitulating thematic and melodic elements throughout some of his albums as Blood Orange and as a songwriter, and that some of these “palettes” work especially well for him musically and visually.

This is especially true on Cupid Deluxe where Hynes has incorporated some of the thematic elements from his last album Coastal Grooves into the fabric of the new release. Beyond explanation as a purely synesthetic impetus, Hynes winsomely informed the audience that some of these repeated ideas were simply because he “likes how they sound.”

Dev Hynes will be performing as Blood Orange tonight at 285 Kent in Brooklyn, for the Cupid Deluxe release party. Cupid Deluxe is now available on iTunes.

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LIVE: Tune into any of 30 channels of live parties going down in London as part of the Red Bull Revolutions in Sound night. Hosted by Annie Mac, parties are held in 30 capsules on a ferris wheel in London, each pod representing a legendary London club or night with its original resident DJs throwing down inside.  The  YouTube feed is below, but head over to Red Bull to tune into the events including Craig Richards, Todd Terry, Ben UFO, Green Velvet, Skream, Jamie xx, Giles Peterson, and more.

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By Brian Parker

We’ve all been there: you purchase tickets for an event months in advance and on the day of the event, an unexpected situation arises and you are suddenly unable to attend.  The hassle of selling tickets on StubHub or Craigslist is frustrating and ineffective if showtime is within 24 hours. It almost seems easier to give rogue tickets away to a friend or to just pocket them, wistfully hoping your family cancels their impromptu visit.

Enter Lyte, which offers a quick solution to “offloading” unused concert, performance, and sporting event tickets in crunch time, reimbursing you at or near face-value.

Lyte founder Ant Taylor recognized the lack of a dedicated platform that would allow sellers and buyers to save money on tickets at the last minute. He explained that a whopping 17-25% of tickets for sold-out shows are unused partially due to scalpers, but that a large portion of those are a result of fans who simply couldn’t make it. Despite the prevalence of large ticket resell platforms like StubHub, Lyte’s goal is to make the process quick and easy, with a 10-minute turnaround time from sell-to-buy.Logistically, plans to partner with venues will allow Lyte to function with varying ticketing systems and hopefully, a digital will-call system will in the future will make Lyte’s ticket transfers seamless at the door.

Lyte will charge only around 15% commission on their ticket sales, which keeps tickets prices reasonable and attractive to buyers. After discovering that scalpers were charging upwards of $5,000 for tickets to a secret Arcade Fire show in Brooklyn last month, Taylor ensures that Lyte buyers will pay as close to face value as possible. Security for these transactions comes first from Lyte’s research in determining original ticket value, but also through Facebook integration, which will help keep scalpers at bay.

Lyte is able to recognize suspicious activity from its backend, which will also help them analyze data on listings, music trends, and the demands of sellers and buyers. Taylor hopes to build a full market platform by developing a trustworthy network of music and entertainment fans, with Lyte being the go-to method for selling off tickets between friends and strangers alike. Taylor adds that building a full marketplace for will require “finding the right buyer at the right time,” and that Lyte is focused on making it easy for sellers to sell, especially in the early stages of the startup. ”It might require us taking a revenue hit to get the fan to the event. But the key is to make this common sense, and to build the structure community by community.”

Visit Lyteup.com to upload your tickets, and stay in touch with the Lyte community.

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By Dave Mainella

Those in attendance at last Tuesday’s SF MusicTech Summit were treated to a full day of thoughtful events and discussions from some of the brightest and most forward-thinking in the industry.  SoundCtrl Co-Founder, Jesse Kirshbaum, had the opportunity to lead a conversation and Q&A with Funkmaster Flex, the legendary DJ and producer on the leading edge of radio and digital.

Funkmaster Flex has a full and diverse resume, as one of the premier radio DJs for the last 20 years and as someone who’s turned the art of radio DJing into a successful digital brand – with a website that attracts over a million unique visitors and an app attracting 16 million page views a day.

The two discussed the evolution of radio, DJing and the “mix-tape”, and finding and playing new music, in a 20-minute conversation spanning the history of hip hop.

Talking with Kirshbaum about his early days at Hot 97 and in New York’s hip hop scene, Flex offered a unique perspective on the lineage of the genre.  Flex mentioned the 90′s in particular as a turning point for the music.  “The 90′s were key,” he said, “because it was a period where we thought hip hop might go away.  We didn’t know it was going to be mainstream, but it was getting more ears, more eyes.”

Kirshbaum recognized that Flex has the top rated radio show in all of terrestrial radio, to which the joking and humble DJ replied, “I’m number 1 by far.  But you know, I’m probably one of the few DJs around the country still allowed to pick their own music and records, and that’s something that I’ve never abused.”

Before taking questions from the attentive audience, Kirshbaum asked Flex’s opinion on developments in the music tech space.  The DJ targeted streaming music services as both a drawback and an opportunity for the evolution of a different kind of radio.

“There are a lot of good streaming services for the hits,” Flex explained.  “But I would like to see a lot of these streaming services try to really be radio.  They’re going to have to break artists.  And they’re going to have break music.  And they’re going to have to break talent.  I think where it’s going to go.  You’ll go to a streaming service and hear the hits, something new, and something unsigned all in the same place.”

Visit www.inflexwetrust.com

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By Kira Grunenberg

Imagine this oh-too-common scenario:

You are browsing the internet, surfing Facebook, and a suggested post comes up about a new album and accompanying tour for one of your favorite bands. You are determined to go to one of the shows on the tour, even if that means having to do some extra planning.

More often than not, when fans want to see and hear their favorite entertainment live, or scope out a hot festival, there are many logistics involved. It’s more than just clicking “Buy” on the tickets and taking the night off to hear the concert or see the show. Sometimes, for that really special event, fans will find themselves needing to make flight plans, book hotel rooms; not to mention procure a means of transportation for moving about locally. Much of the time this means having to juggle information from multiple websites and services.

Young but vibrant startup, Fantrotter.com is the solution to this dilemma and the launch of their new Facebook app for performers and their fans is designed to create an even faster and more cohesive event planning experience. Performers of all kinds, from those who engage in music to comedy, sports, theater and other forms of entertainment can all utilize Fantrotter.com’s app and services. 

Fantrotter.com is “like Stubhub meets Kayak meets TripAdvisor for fans,” as they describe on their official Facebook page, and it has put together quite the useful system in just the short time since the company got up and running in April of this year. A free site that works in tandem with existing promotion platforms like Band Page, Bands In Town and Reverbnation, CEO, Michael Coletta has aspired for Fantrotter.com to be a one-stop destination capable of…

“streamlining event research, saving time for the devoted fan, providing a new
form of vacation inspiration for the casual fan, and saving everyone money in the process.”

While this setup is liable to entice frequent show-goers as is, the new “Fantrotter for Performers” Facebook app just sweetens the deal. Performers have a way to stir up more excitement and real-time chatter about upcoming events through Facebook’s already massive user presence, as the app will go right alongside any other main features performers have on their official pages. The flip side for fans is an easily accessed place where all the basic necessities for show attendance can be browsed, compared and bought without feeling any booking overload. Expedia and Stubhub, two more reputable and established brands, are just a couple of the go-to companies that Fantrotter.com has teamed up with and this just enhances the availability and options. People are not left to scrape the edges of the internet trying to line up a flight time through an unknown third party to make the show they want.

Performers wanting to bring together their show schedule and promotional information just need to include it in SeatGeek, the partner database for Fantrotter’s performer-users. Just like downloading the Fantrotter app itself, collaborating info with SeatGeek only takes a few minutes and a couple of clicks. Plans in Fantrotter.com’s near future will involve adding pricing information for airport departures outside of the U.S. so fans can also plan for shows abroad as well.

You can learn more about Fantrotter.com over at their official website and keep up with company news via their Facebook and Twitter pages too.

Kira is an old school music nerd with a love for all things creative; always searching for music’s common ground. She graduated with an M.A. in Performing Arts Administration from New York University. Drop her a tweet @shadowmelody1

The post Fantrotter Aggregates Travel Info with Ticket Purchase to Simplify Booking Flights/Hotels/etc appeared first on SoundCtrl.

By Dana Sedgwick

Mickey Hart, former drummer for the Grateful Dead, is exploring his brain on music.

Described by Hart as the “Rhythm Genome Project,” this project aims to validate the science behind good vibrations as a healing tool for illness, depression and dementia. Rhythm & The Brain: Superorganism is led by Dr. Adam Gazzaley of UC-San Francisco… check out the video below to see how they took the science (and music) on tour this summer, as well as release an album called Superorganism.

It’s a jam session… for your mind and body… literally.

The post Mickey Hart is all About the Brainwaves… So Psychedelic, Dude appeared first on SoundCtrl.

By Carolyn Heneghan

As the summer festival season comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on what we’ve learned to improve our experience next year. Need to wear shoes that can get amazingly muddy? Need to bring ponchos or toilet paper next year? How about needing to consider using more wearable technology in the future?

Wearable technology is the next frontier after creating monster computers the size of your palm. This technology could be beneficial for everything from fitness to hands-free calls, but it also has some unique possibilities for use at music festivals.

Wearable Tech Already Put to Use

We’ve already seen wearable wristband tickets which can be scanned for entry and worn throughout a festival. While at times uncomfortable, these bands are one way to eliminate the need for paper tickets and paper wristbands that can wear and tear from normal festival use.

And what about the shirts that light up to the beat of the music? Those too have been around awhile, and they’ve grown in popularity as they’ve become more technically impressive.

These wristbands and fashion statements are just a couple examples of how wearable technology is already being put to use. But there are other technologies being developed that you’ll see more and more of at upcoming music fests.

Insider Band at Outside Lands 2013

About a month ago, San Francisco’s Outside Lands found itself to be a test drive of ClearHart Digital’s Insider Band. Esurance and ClearHart set up eight 14-foot towers throughout Golden Gate Park, each armed with NFC-enabled Nexus 7 tablets mounted on all four sides. To make use of these towered tablets, participants registered for a free wristband online, which they then connected to their Facebook accounts.

For all who registered for a band, the user would tap that band on the tower and would then be able to check in to that location, take a photo or send a message to Facebook friends who had also registered for an Insider Band. That data could then either be stored and accessed the following week or posted immediately to Facebook.

If a user’s phone died or had poor reception, all he or she had to do was visit one of these towers to complete at least some of the actions they would have normally performed with their smartphone, such as find friends or check in at a location, without worry.

As any test drive might end up, there were a few snags along the way, such as long lines to receive a functional Insider Band because of spotty Wi-Fi in the Esurance tent. But all in all, the project seemed to be pretty successful with 8,060 users who tapped 29,753 times and uploaded 4,780 photos throughout the festival.

Smartwatches

Smartwatches have been around for a little while now, but this month, the industry releases two new models, the Samsung Galaxy Gear and the Sony SmartWatch 2, with Apple reportedly on their heels for a smartwatch release in 2014. Besides telling the time, how can these smartwatches really help at a music festival?

The Sony’s SmartWatch 2 will have 300 apps released in tandem with the device itself, more than four times as many as Samsung’s Galaxy Gear at 70 apps. But if you’re a fan of checking in, tweeting, sharing Facebook statuses and uploading photos of all the action, both smartwatches will allow you to do that. The social network Path’s app also allows you to share photos, post locations and allow feedback, similar to its online site.

Have trouble keeping up or meeting up with friends? One of Galaxy Gear’s apps, Glympse, can enable someone to be tracked using the app, and you can figure out where that person is just by glancing at the watch’s screen. Those people will have to have the app on their smartphones too, but it could still come in handy.

The SmartWatch 2 hasn’t released a list of many of its apps yet, but there’s a good chance that some of the apps you might normally use at a festival will be on there as well—if not in the future, possibly by next year’s summer fest season.

Google Glass

While the commercial version of Google Glass is still not yet available, developers are creating more and more apps that may eventually be of some use to festival goers—as long as they can keep the glasses on while jumping around in the crowd.

Imagine a Google Glass app that allows you to pull up live Twitter updates from other users about a festival set while it is actually happening. Or a map app that pulls up the trackable locations of your friends onscreen and directs you exactly to the spot they’re at. Or a camera that snaps a picture with every hard blink, hands-free.

The possibilities are endless as Google Glass slowly becomes a reality. App developers will assuredly come up with uses beyond our wildest fest tech fantasies, and it will be exciting to see where it goes in the coming years.

Wearable technology for music festivals is still in its infancy, but it shows great promise. Let’s wait and see what tech companies have in store for us by summer fest season 2014.

The post Wearable Technology: Music Festival Edition appeared first on SoundCtrl.

By Brian Parker

With soaring ticket prices and dedicated venues in major cities, music fans often miss out on experiencing their favorite artists’ live performances. Enter EVNTLIVE, an innovative digital venue that broadcasts HD concerts to your computer or mobile devices. Not only does EVNTLIVE offer high-quality streams of live and on-demand concerts, it also allows fans to customize their experiences, controlling camera angles, chatting with other concertgoers, and accessing exclusive content like backstage interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

Though EVNTLIVE is technically still in its beta stage, it has already broadcast several concerts in the last few months since launching, featuring Bon Jovi, Wale, and The Lumineers, and the platform has been praised by the music and tech industries alike.

We spoke with Co-Founder & CMO David Carrico and CEO Judy Estrin last February (see that interview here) and caught up with Carrico yesterday about EVNTLIVE’s proprietary social features, the process of putting on a show, and what to anticipate for the future of the digital concert experience.

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SoundCtrl: How long has EVNTLIVE been up and running? How many concerts have you now broadcast?

David Carrico: We launched on April 15 2013, so we’ve been up and running for a little over four months now. We’ve broadcast about fifteen to sixteen shows in the last few months.

SC: In our last interview, you stated that EVNTLIVE wasn’t intended to replace a live concert experience. How does the platform bring in some of the elements of the highly social and communal atmosphere of a concert?

DC: The analogy that I like to use is that we know that being at a show is not a replaceable experience, but we do like to take the digital features that we have to make it as much like being at a show as possible. So for us that means while shows are being broadcast on EVNTLIVE.com, users are able to talk to each other using our own chat mechanism about what they’re watching during the show. Users are able to select their own camera angle, so in addition to the live directed feed they can watch one of the artists, whether it be the guitarist or the drummer, or the DJ cam or the crowd cam. Through iTunes, users are able to download music by the artist they’re watching without leaving the page, they’re able to read up more about the artist, and perhaps watch all-access backstage interviews or extra content that we’ve shot related to the artist or the story behind the show.

SC: What kind of technical specifications are required to have a concert streamed in terms of video and audio? How do you go about setting up the recording and streaming of EVNTLIVE events?

DC: Everything we do is incredibly high-end–we like to think of ourselves as a curated digital venue in the sense that we’re only looking at four to six shows a month. The majority of shows we’re doing are six to ten camera HD broadcast television-quality shoots. A lot of planning goes into camera placement and live direction of shows so they’re really the highest quality possible.

SC: Do those features carry over to EVNTLIVE on the iPhone or iPad?

DC: We don’t have native apps yet, but we will be releasing them. Right now the mobile and tablet versions are all HTML5, so you can watch on your cell phone, you can watch on your tablet, you can watch on your computer, and the content is the same on all the devices.

SC: Are you broadcasting primarily from a specific location, or are the concerts worldwide?

DC: The majority of shows we’ve broadcast have been in the United States but we’re talking about shows in the UK and other countries as well. And we’re always streaming those shows internationally, regardless of where they’re taking place.

SC: Will a breaking artist have smaller-scale options within EVNTLIVE where they can gain and grow fans?

DC: Perhaps. At this point however, EVNTLIVE is focused on bringing artists that are already incredibly popular to an event broader audience. There are so many people living in places around the world that a major artist simply won’t tour, since an artist can only tour so many dates a year. Yet there are so many fans internationally. So our goal is to give people who couldn’t make it to the show for whatever reason, be it financial, geographic, the opportunity to see their favorite bands and festivals.

SC: What is the pricing plan or subscription?

DC: At this time all the live webcasts are free. We have the option to offer pay-per-view webcasts but the idea of the business model going forward will be to partner with brands to have some integration in the webcast to help drive revenue for the artist.

SC: Are your relationships with the artists through booking agencies and record labels?

DC: Our relationships extend to agents, managers, and record labels. Typically to do a webcast, all of those parties need to buy in and be interested in participating. 

SC: You mentioned in the last interview that 3D would be a possibility for the future. Are they any plans you have to use new technologies to bring together artists’ fans in a live community setting?

DC: We have ideas about how we could experiment with translating the experience of EVNTLIVE in different ways. One of the things we’ve been interested in looking into in the future is that there are sports bars–why couldn’t there be concert bars? Why couldn’t there be places where people could congregate remotely to enjoy a show if they couldn’t be there across the world? So there are certainly lots of physical opportunities and social opportunities, as well as people just being able to enjoy from their tablets or smartphones in their living rooms.

The post [Interview] David Carrico, Co-Founder & CMO of EVNTLIVE appeared first on SoundCtrl.

By Jesse Kirshbaum

Occasionally, it’s refreshing to attend an event outside your industry. You don’t assume the answers to the questions, you listen harder, you discover connections to your own world that you wouldn’t have previously thought about. So yesterday morning I strolled down to the West Village to check out the first Details Magazine Tech & Tastemakers Summit. If you don’t subscribe to Details, do.

The conference took place at a beautiful studio called Industria, located above a hot spot called Barbuto (again, if you haven’t eaten there, do). The crowd was a very stylish and well groomed group of bloggers & tastemakers. People were getting haircuts and shoe shines. I even got my Nike 360 cleaned .  They had a great spread of snacks and Grady’s Iced Brewed Coffee and the un-named DJ was playing upbeat, vibey music at a level great for the slightly bleary eyed, yet enthusiastic conversation.

The event was hosted by Max Lugavere who was skilled at moving the conversations along, adding insight and context where needed. I didn’t know many of the speakers as it was a very fashion-centric crowd, but I enjoyed the exchanges that discussed how the tech world and the fashion blogger scene were influencing each other (we see something similar in the music industry I think). Topics like Content x Commerce were discussed. Heard some interesting founders stories including one from Mashable’s Pete Cashmore.

The rather unpolished presentation ironically came from Conde Nast’s Raman Kia, but he also happened to be the speaker with the clearest insight and take a-ways. His Quickfire talk “What’s Now, What’s Next” touched on 6 trends shaping the digital ecosystem:

1) Images power the social web
2) Social Participation is very important and all content should be placed in places where people are most likely to participate
3) Simplicity has to power the call to action
4) Build things that are multi-media by nature
5) Use transmedia for story telling
6) Content should be spreadable by design

All in all, insightful and polished event… recommended the next time one of these rolls around. Check out photos below.

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The post Review of Details Tech & Tastemakers Summit appeared first on SoundCtrl.

By Dave Mainella

Earlier this week, we wrote about the VMA’s groundbreaking voting method, encouraging fans to vote for their favorite artists with hashtags on Twitter, Instagram, and Vine.  But this is just one of the ways the MTV Video Music Awards, now just a few short days away (Sunday, 9pm), has incorporated social media on a large scale.

The VMAs have always been on the cutting edge of combining social media and live television.  They were the first to employ second screen tactics with 2009′s Twitter Tracker, an aggregate of all the VMA related tweets presented in real time.  This year’s show goes a step further, replacing the Twitter Tracker with the all-encompassing Social Radar.  Understanding that Twitter is but one component of the vast social media space, the Social Radar pulls information from all VMA-related artists and tags across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Vine.  The Social Radar can be found online and on mobile devices, eliminating the need for fans to check different places for related content. 

It’s apparent that the Viacom-ownd MTV aims to qualify and capitalize on social interaction rather than simply encouraging conversation.  The most important development in terms of second screen engagement is, perhaps, the specific content MTV is producing for the second screen.  From photos and videos to facts and behind-the-scenes interviews, a synchronized viewing companion brings the MTV brand into the frenzied social media dialogue and, conversely, brings the fan back to the product.

The convergence of brands, consumer/audience, and social media doesn’t end there.  Viacom is partnering with Twitter to sell promoted tweets to sponsoring brands, including Unilever and Pepsi.  Dubbed Twitter Amplify, this opens the door wide open for social video advertising campaigns. 

Viacom already has additional campaigns lined up.  “The availability of Twitter Amplify in the MTV Video Music Awards — an annual trending topic behemoth — generated such a great response from advertisers that we’re accelerating our plans to roll it out across our networks,” said Jeff Lucas, Head of Sales, Music and Entertainment, Viacom Media Networks. “We look forward to connecting even more advertisers with our audiences through video content on Twitter, starting with every burn in Comedy Central’s Franco Roast.”

This is the strongest case study to date of advertising in the context of social media and live television.  Twitter first announced the general availability of TV ad targeting a month ago.  But the partnership with Viacom represents the next step of targeted advertising, one with the potential to tap into an often record-breaking social media space.

There’s also been equal emphasis on building anticipation leading up to Sunday’s show.  Besides the aforementioned hashtag voting, the VMAs have been incorporating a series of clever methods that make full use of social technology.

Vine, in particular, has been instrumental in MTV’s #RoadToTheVMAs campaign.  VMA nominations were unveiled in series of stop-motion videos created by Khoa Phan, the first time an awards show has made such announcements through social media.  Even if the nominations are no longer a surprise, it’s worth checking out the fun videos.

The #RoadToTheVMAs has already established a large social media footprint; MTV announced last week that the campaign had collected over 100 million impressions.  It will be interesting to see how the additional components add to the numbers during and after the show.

The post The MTV Video Music Awards & the Big Push in Social Media appeared first on SoundCtrl.

By Dana Sedgwick

It’s that time of year again… when everyone pimps their SXSW panel and asks you to vote for them. Well we’re throwing our hat into the ring and are proud to submit an intimate conversation with a legendary radio host turned digital curator DJ Funkmaster Flex – Building Your Digital Brand.

We caught up with Flex last May at our 4th Annual FlashFWD Awards where he came to support Best in Discovery winner, Songza. At SXSW, our own Jesse Kirshbaum (Co-Founder of SoundCtrl, CEO of NUE Agency) will have the chance to sit down with Flex and dive into the particulars of how he continues to push the needle in music culture, industry and tech.

Funk Flex has been America’s #1 radio personality for more than a decade – reaching more than 3M listeners a week on Hot97. Every night between 7PM-12AM, an estimated 10% of all the NYC metropolitan radio audience is listening to him – making him #1 in his time slot. A magnet for brands and notorious for breaking artists, the Flex bomb on a song ultimately marks it as the next big hit in clubs, on the radio and all over the world.

In addition to on-air, Flex has also developed an impressive presence online including his website InFlexWeTrust.com, his Funkmaster Flex app, and various other strategic partnerships with emerging tech companies.

In this dual session, we will break down how Flex has become one of the very few to successfully maintain a strong, traditional relationship with listeners – via radio – while building a digital arsenal that rivals any artist at a major label.

You can VOTE HERE and please be sure to share it with your friends.. we promise to share some BBQ with you in 2014. See you in Austin!

The post Vote for SoundCtrl & DJ Funkmaster Flex at SXSW Interactive 2014 appeared first on SoundCtrl.

By Michael Valinsky

It seems as though the VMAs are no longer the traditional award ceremony, or at least they’re pushing the traditional to a whole new #modern level.

For this year’s awards ceremony, the VMAs are letting the audience, “the people”, vote and choose their favorite artists through Vine. This is a pretty smart move seeing as not that many people will spend the time to text a number or call to place their votes. In fact, the nominees were announced via Instagram, Vine, Twitter – all new platforms for VMAs press announcements.

It is still possible to vote online at here ; this will tell you all the different categories/who the nominees are but audiences can only vote for the Best Song of the Summer category through social media via videos and images and hashtag language. The nominees for the Best Song of the Summer category are:

We Can’t Stop by Miley Cyrus (#VoteMiley)
Get Lucky by Daft Punk featuring Pharrell (#VoteDaftPunk)
I Need Your Love by Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding (#VoteCalvinAndEllie)
Come & Get It by Selena Gomez (#VoteSelena)
Best Song Ever by One Direction (#VoteOneDirection)
Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell (#VoteThicke)

#hashtagvoting #vote #VMAS

The post The #VMAs #love #Instagram #Vine and #Twitter appeared first on SoundCtrl.